Valerie Brown - Associate Head Coach - Sprints, Hurdles and Relays - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Valerie Brown

Title:
Associate Head Coach - Sprints, Hurdles and Relays
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Valerie Brown was named an Assistant Coach for the Indiana Track and Field program by Director of Track and Field Cross Country Ed Beathea in July of 2023. She joins the Hoosiers after serving on the staff at Austin Peay since 2011. She was an associate head coach from 2014-19 before being named the program’s head coach for four seasons.

Her role in Bloomington will see her assist Beathea with the team’s sprinters, hurdlers and relays.

Indiana (2024-pres.)
Brown in her first year has worked alongside head coach Ed Beathea to elevate the sprints, hurdles and relays group.

Sprinter Kenisha Phillips had a standout year with the Hoosiers. She was coached under Brown at Austin Peay and qualified for her first NCAA Championships.

Phillips finished eighth in the 400 meters to earn First Team All-America honors. She also set the indoor 300-meter school record and the indoor and outdoor 400-meter school record.

After breaking school records in back-to-back meets, Phillips was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week.

Kristina Vincic, Morgan Snow, Maddie Russin and Phillips also broke the indoor 4x400 meter relay school record with a time of 3:38.57 at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Antonio Laidler was runner-up at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the 100 meters, tying his school record time of 10.19. Laidler also earned a qualifying spot at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. He competed in the first round of the 100-meter dash where he finished 31^st overall with a time of 10.36.

Austin Peay (2014-23)
Since arriving to Clarksville, Austin Peay’s sprinters have broken school records in the 60 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and 4x400 relay (indoors) and 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 100 hurdles and 4x100 relay (outdoors).

She helped oversee the development of Kenisha Phillips, a five-time ASUN champion in the 400 meters. Phillips ran personal bests of 11.58 (100m), 23.28 (200m) and 52.44 (400m) while splitting 52.2 on anchor leg for Austin Peay’s ASUN-title winning 4x400 relay team this past February.

Brown coached Breigh jones (personal best of 52.65) to the 2014 OVC Outdoor Championship in the 400 meters and a bid to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene.

Austin Peay won outdoor conference titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 100-meter hurdles, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay under the coaching of Brown. In 2020, the program won seven indoor conference titles including victories in the 200 meters, 400 meters, 60-meter hurdles and 4x400 relay.

An outstanding sprinter in her own right, Brown finished third in the 400 meters at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Championships. She swept the Sun Belt titles in the 200 meters and 400 meters indoors in 2009 and won back-to-back conference titles in the 4x400 relay outdoors in 2007 and 2008.

Brown earned an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts from Bevill State in 2005. From Western Kentucky, she garnered a Bachelor's degree in Visual Studies in 2009 and a Master's degree in Recreation and Sport Administration in 2011.

Coaching Highlights Austin Peay State University 2014- 2023
National & Regional Accolades
· 1 U.S Junior Pan American Games Qualifier (Breigh Jones, freshman, 53.5—400m)
· 1 NCAA Outdoor Championships Qualifier
· 1 Outdoor NCAA Championship Qualifier with a top 20 National Finish
· Qualified 1 athlete to the NCAA East Region finishing in the top 20
· Qualified 1 athlete to the NCAA East Region finishing in the top 10
· Qualified 14 Athletes to the NCAA East Regional Meet: 100m, 200m,400m, LJ, TJ, PV (2014-2022)
Conference Championship Podium Team Finishes
· 1st Place Team Finish at the OVC Indoor Championship (2020 Indoor)
· 2nd Place Team Finish at the OVC Indoor Championship (2013 Indoors)
· 3rd Place Team finish at the OVC Indoor Championship (2022 Indoor, Outdoors 2014, Outdoors 2019)
Conference Coach of the Year Honors
· Head Coach of the year: Ohio Valley Conference (2020)
Conference Accolades
· 3 Ohio Valley Athletes of the Year (2014-2022)
· 3 Ohio Valley Athlete of the Championship (2014-2022)
· 34 Ohio Valley Conference Champions (2014-2022)
· 5 Freshman of the Year athletes Ohio Valley Conference (2014-2022)
· 6 ASUN Conference Champions (2023)
· 6 Gold Medalists from ASUN Conference Championship: LJ, 200m, 400m, 4x400mR, PV (2023)
· Broke ASUN Conference Championship Meet Records: PV, 200m, 400m (2023)
Austin Peay Athletic Department
· Hall of Fame Inductee Breigh Jones 2022
· Six Consecutive Highest-Team GPA as Head Coach for Track & Field and Cross Country
· Guided strongest track program resurgence in school history